Massive Wagons/The Virginmarys

April 13, 2023 Off By Jon

Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth

For the third time in the last week, I’m in Portsmouth, down the M27 from Poole to see the first night of the tour from Lancaster’s finest export Massive Wagons. They are back on the road again for the first time since November and this time they have a brand new album called “Triggered” to promote. Tracks from it have already been on constant rotation on Planet Rock Radio and one of them “Prime Generation” features Skindred’s Benji Webb.

Before the headliners, we are in for a treat as the tour support is Macclesfield’s two-piece The Virginmary’s, featuring Ally Dickaty on Guitar and Danny Nolan on drums. The last time I saw them was with a good friend of mine Kev who was a fine drummer himself and has now sadly passed away. Kev loved the band very much and the main focus of his attention was on its impressive drummer, who he said was a joy to watch.

With that thought it was a pleasure once again to be reacquainted with this band. They kick off with their recent 2022 single “The Meds” and their impressive styles and brilliance are blessed on this Portsmouth audience. Lead vocalist Ally has a knack of changing his vocal styles; sometimes it’s quite harsh, and other times it’s much smoother like with “Motherless Land” sounding a little like Bruce Springsteen.

The Virgin Marys 1–2–3–4–5

The sound and the power that these two create is just immense and their set is full of highlights including the intense “Lies Lies Lies” and forthcoming single “Where Are You Now?”; with its smoulderingly broody start, with the song just building and building to a huge Rock crescendo. Their technical ability of Danny is still very evident, he’s unlike any other drummer I have seen with so many unique skills. Ally is clearly his perfect partner as his guitar capabilities and vocals thoroughly complement his style.

The set ends with “Bang Bang Bang” with its powerful hard-hitting lyrics and fiercely potent instrumentation. The crowd clearly love what this band do and gives them lots of support as they leave the stage to meet many of them at the merch desk.

The house lights dim and the Massive Wagon’s new stage set reveals a host of great-looking lighting trickery, a custom-made piano intro starts before the five lads take to the stage to masses of cheering from the crowd. Kicking off with “Gone Are the Days” the band start as they mean to go on with a track from the new album. They may have been off-stage since November of last year, but there is no loss in energy or stage presence.

Baz has had fun with a razor and removed his moustache in favour of Noddy Holder-style mutton chops and his hair seems to have been transferred onto guitarist Steve’s face, who’s created a fine beard. After their triumphant performance at the Download Festival last year the band have had to go away and reinvent themselves once again. The audience is initially quite quiet as most are not totally familiar with the new tracks as of yet. It’s a brave move to remove some of the band’s best-known tracks for the newer ones, however, there are tracks on the latest album that are bound to become classics the more they get heard.

Massive Wagons 1–2–3–4–5–6–7–8–9–10–11

Anti-bullying anthems “Fuck The Haters” and “A.S.S.H.O.L.E.” apparently about someone they once toured with are the first new tracks that really encourage the crowd to get involved. Baz splits us up in two and gets up to spell the words to hilarious effects. Baz said that before they came on stage tonight that they were nervous, with it being the first night of the tour and the fact they have not played in quite a while. Clearly, the band’s chemistry and their rehearsals have stood them in good stead as tonight is as good a show as you see from any accomplished Rock band.

Part way through the set is the random “Wagons Jukebox” – a bit like the last tour with “Bangin’ In Your Stereo”, this time we are treated to tracks by 1980s Rock band The Outfield and their track “Your Love”. There is also Metallica’s “The Creeping Death” and something I thought I’d never see Massive Wagons covering, Ricky Martin’s “Livin’ La Vida Loca”.

Last week I was at the Takedown Festival in Portsmouth where Skindred played and in my mind I hoped/prayed/dreamed that Benji had stayed down in Portsmouth to join the band on stage for “Generation Prime”; sadly this vision did not come true, however without the big man the quartet do a great job with the track – reworking it without the Benji parts, hopefully, one day that dream will come true?! One of the highlights of the show is a newly reworked version of “Northern Boy”, where the track is initially slowed down with Baz doing an amazing job on the vocals, with Adam putting in some incredible work on his flying v guitar on the solo.

During the now almost obligatory encore, things seem to be up a notch and much of the crowd starts bouncing to the new single “Skateboard” and my favourite Wagons track “Ratio”. The night is appropriately ended with “In It Together” with the crowd again singing along loudly with the band. One cannot complain when the band deliver 19 tracks tonight; all with the same energy as the last and this is night 1 of a 10-date tour which as the band go on, I’m sure will get better and better. Long live Massive Wagons…..

Set Lists
Massive Wagons
Intro
Gone Are the Days
Triggered
Fuck the Haters
A.S.S.H.O.L.E.
Sawdust
Buck
Hallescrewya
Never Been a Problem
Germ
Please Stay Calm
Your Love (The Outfield)
Creeping Death (Metallica)
Livin la vida Loca (Ricky Martin)
Generation Prime
House of Noise
Northern Boy

Encore
Skateboard
Ratio
In It Together

The Virginmarys
The Meds
Portrait of Red
Lies Lies Lies
NYC
Motherless Land
Devil Keeps Coming
Just a Ride
You’re A Killer
Look Out for My Brother
Where Are You Now?
Bang Bang Bang

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